Guidance

Key priorities for implementation

Key priorities for implementation

Principles for assessment

When assessing a person who may have depression, conduct a comprehensive assessment that does not rely simply on a symptom count. Take into account both the degree of functional impairment and/or disability associated with the possible depression and the duration of the episode.

Effective delivery of interventions for depression

All interventions for depression should be delivered by competent practitioners. Psychological and psychosocial interventions should be based on the relevant treatment manual(s), which should guide the structure and duration of the intervention. Practitioners should consider using competence frameworks developed from the relevant treatment manual(s) and for all interventions should:

receive regular high-quality supervision

use routine outcome measures and ensure that the person with depression is involved in reviewing the efficacy of the treatment

engage in monitoring and evaluation of treatment adherence and practitioner competence – for example, by using video and audio tapes, and external audit and scrutiny where appropriate.

Case identification and recognition

Be alert to possible depression (particularly in people with a past history of depression or a chronic physical health problem with associated functional impairment) and consider asking people who may have depression two questions, specifically:

During the last month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless?

During the last month, have you often been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things?

Low-intensity psychosocial interventions

For people with persistent subthreshold depressive symptoms or mild to moderate depression, consider offering one or more of the following interventions, guided by the person's preference:

individual guided self-help based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Do not use antidepressants routinely to treat persistent subthreshold depressive symptoms or mild depression because the risk–benefit ratio is poor, but consider them for people with:

a past history of moderate or severe depression or

initial presentation of subthreshold depressive symptoms that have been present for a long period (typically at least 2 years) or

subthreshold depressive symptoms or mild depression that persist(s) after other interventions.

Treatment for moderate or severe depression

For people with moderate or severe depression, provide a combination of antidepressant medication and a high-intensity psychological intervention (CBT or IPT).

Continuation and relapse prevention

Support and encourage a person who has benefited from taking an antidepressant to continue medication for at least 6 months after remission of an episode of depression. Discuss with the person that:

this greatly reduces the risk of relapse

antidepressants are not associated with addiction.

Psychological interventions for relapse prevention

People with depression who are considered to be at significant risk of relapse (including those who have relapsed despite antidepressant treatment or who are unable or choose not to continue antidepressant treatment) or who have residual symptoms, should be offered one of the following psychological interventions:

individual CBT for people who have relapsed despite antidepressant medication and for people with a significant history of depression and residual symptoms despite treatment

mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for people who are currently well but have experienced three or more previous episodes of depression.